


Me, Myself & Maybe my servant

by Shipper_ripper



Category: Original Work
Genre: A lot of talking, A skeleton - Freeform, Being a self absorbed dumbass, Curses, Fantasy, Jesus - Freeform, Like I wrote him like that but still, Magic and shit, Multi, Prince Fredrick is a pure self absorbed dumbass, Sex Mentions, Spirits, Talking, and stuff, he's dumb - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-10
Updated: 2019-09-10
Packaged: 2020-10-14 02:03:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20592857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shipper_ripper/pseuds/Shipper_ripper
Summary: Prince Fredrick and his ever loyal servant Sebastian go off on a quest to lift a curse placed a Sebastian, only to also realise that nothing is easy as it seems





	Me, Myself & Maybe my servant

**Author's Note:**

> This is like my first real story I've written, I wrote it for a writing class and did alright with it for my end grade but I wanted some other opinions on it, please let me know if you've liked it and give some constructive criticism. It may feel a little rushed because i had a word limit, but let me know what things I should expand on. Also if you feel the relationship between the prince and servant slightly reminds you of Arthur and Merlin, you're not seeing something that isn't there, my characters relationship was kinda inspired by them. Have fun tho

‘Sire, you do remember that your birthday celebration starts in five days, yes?’ said Sebastian as he held up his bony arm to block a branch about to fling back and knock off his head. ‘And please be more mindful sire! It’s already difficult enough to keep myself together, even with wearing clothes. I don’t need you to make it harder with your careless path making.’

‘Yes, yes, I remember Sebastian, don’t worry your skeletal little head,’ replied Prince Fredrick, as he continued to carelessly push tree branches out of his way. ‘And why don’t you just be better at dodging then or think of this as training to quicken your reflexes. You’ve always been terrible at catching whatever I throw at you, perhaps this might help you be better at it.’

The two continued through the dense forest, with Prince Fredrick leading, in front of his most loyal royal servant Sebastian, only calling out sometimes to beware of an incoming branch. Usually, on their little quests or adventures, Prince Fredrick would call out more warnings of incoming obstacles to Sebastian. But for this quest, however, Prince Fredrick actually had other things on his mind, being his birthday celebration and the reason behind Sebastian’s current situation. 

Prince Frederick knows his birthday celebrations were famous for two things within the kingdom. First was the giant feast held in his honour and how it is available for all who live and visit the citadel at the time of the celebration, the peasants included. The second was him being known for inviting many different young women and men into his bed for the two nights the celebration is held for. Sebastian has even brought to his attention that who he’ll invite to his bedchambers is a large topic spoken about between the young women and men on the upcoming days of the celebration, all apparently hoping that they’ll be the ones to attract the prince's attention for the celebratory nights. This year, Prince Fredrick hopes that in successfully completing his quest he will garner even more attention, bringing more young women and men into the citadel for the celebrations to have a wider choice of bed mates. 

Of course, the prince thinks to himself, this is a dire quest, even though Sebastian’s curse wasn’t his fault in the first place. He didn’t know the white stag was the forest’s sacred animal, which shows that it's all obviously Sebastian’s fault. Sebastian knew that the animal was sacred and didn’t warn him enough. Ergo, not his fault, the prince thinks, continuing his careless forest path making. Perhaps it should be emphasised in the quest’s tale that it wasn’t his fault and despite that, he still went to help Sebastian undo his curse. Yes, that does make him sound generous, it shall definitely be included, the prince decides. 

It's with the end of Prince Fredrick’s last thought that the two finally happen upon a clearing. It wasn’t a very large clearing, only big enough to perhaps fit two carts in and still be able to comfortably move around. The clearing was completely surrounded by trees and covered in ankle length grass, which was swaying from the light breeze flying in the air. The sun shone down into the clearing, making the area feel warm and comfortable. The only odd thing about this clearing, however, was the large round stone carved with runes that stood right in the centre. It was this stone marker that the prince and his servant were looking for.

‘Ah, excellent’ said Prince Fredrick, with his gaze focused on the stone, ‘We’re here, and made it in quite good time too if I do say so myself.’ The prince walked into the clearing and headed towards the stone. Though, when he didn’t hear Sebastian’s following steps, he looked back and saw Sebastian just standing right on the edge of the clearing. ‘Well come on then Sebastian, don’t just stand there, we haven’t got all day to dilly dally. And fix your shirt please, it's shifted down enough to see your collarbone and your ribs. I mean it’s already disconcerting enough to see an animated talking skull and bone arms, I don’t need to see the rest’ continued the prince.

‘Y-yes, yes sire, sorry sire, I’m coming’ said Sebastian and walked into the clearing towards the prince, carrying his prince’s gear and a special glimmering sack on his back, trying to adjust his shirt as he goes. ‘What time will she be here sire?’ asked Sebastian once he reached his prince.

‘Forest Spirits are fickle beings,’ replied Prince Fredrick, ‘our one may have said that she'll be here by noon, but with her nature, she may arrive in the afternoon or even at night. Our only definite answer for her arrival is this stone here,’ he patted the stone as he spoke, ‘it will start to glow as a warning when she’s near.’

‘Wherever did you learn that sire?’

‘A book I read just before we left.’

‘A book, sire? You read it, in a book?’

‘Yes, a book,’ said Prince Fredrick, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes, ‘it may be surprising to you, but I do read sometimes.’

‘Oh yes of course sire, my apologies.’

‘Apology accepted, now, since I have little patience to wait,’ said Prince Fredrick, laying down on his side next to the stone, with his head on his arm, looked at Sebastian and continued, ‘I’ve decided to have a nap, so be a good servant and wake me up when the stone starts to glow.’

‘Of course. Sire.’

‘Excellent, and you can drop those bags, Sebastian, you don’t have to keep holding them, God man.’ 

‘Right, right, of course.’ Said Sebastian, as he started to place all he was carrying gently on the ground.

Prince Fredrick sat up from his spot and leaned back on his hands ‘What has gotten into you Sebastian,’ he said, ‘you're not normally this scatterbrained on our quests.’ 

‘O-oh, it’s nothing sire, only a little worried is all.’ Replied Sebastian, ‘I just really miss having an actual body to sleep and eat with.’

‘Ah, is that all?’ Said Prince Fredrick as he laid back on his side, ‘you’ll be fine, don’t worry, and remember to wake me up, alright?’

‘Yes, sire.’

With this response, Prince Fredrick closed his eyes and tried to focus on the sun’s warmth to help fall asleep. But as he was drifting off, the prince couldn’t help but wonder about this odd feeling in his chest, a sense of tightness that made him want to take shaky breaths, as well as a weird prickly feeling on his scalp. Strangely so, he’s been feeling this since Sebastian was put under his curse and it seemed to intensify whenever Sebastian spoke of missing his human body. Ah well, the prince thought, it’s a problem for another day, and finally fell asleep.

Price Fredrick woke to a horrifying sight and screamed. ‘Good God man,’ said Prince Fredrick with heaving breaths, and his hands covering his eyes ‘your skull is not a good sight to wake up to.’

‘Sorry sire,’ said Sebastian with his arms raised in a pacifying manner, ‘the stone started to glow, so I was only doing what you asked.’

The prince took his hands away from his eyes and looked at the stone to see that it was indeed glowing, glowing an intense green colour in fact. ‘Ah, well done then.’

The prince got up from the ground and stretched to wake up a little more, noticing the position of the sun as he did so. Huh, he thought, staring at the sky and using his hand to block the sun’s glare, she’ll be here on the time she said she’ll be, that’s surprising. He looked back down and saw his servant still sitting on the ground, rolling his eyes, he walked towards the bags and picked up the glimmering sack. He turned and walked back to Sebastian, ‘Get up lazy bones,’ said Prince Fredrick, quietly laughing to himself at his joke, ‘and hold this,’ dropping the glimmering sack into Sebastian's lap.

‘Of course, sire,' said Sebastian as he got up and stood next to his prince, holding the sack in his arms against his chest.

Right as Sebastian stood up, a great gust of wind blew into the clearing, almost knocking down the prince and his servant who curled into himself, most likely to avoid breaking apart. It blew with enough force to take the leaves off the surrounding trees. These leaves danced in the air and started to swirl right in front of the prince and his servant. The wind died down back into a gentle breeze and the leaves began to swirl into a form of a female humanoid figure, whose head had absolutely no facial features. The forest spirit had finally arrived. 

‘Greetings little prince and dearest Sebastian,’ said the forest spirit, whose ethereal voice seemed to surround Prince Fredrick and Sebastian, ‘it lightens my being to see the both of you here safely.’

Both the prince and his servant stood in silence, having difficulty grasping this manner of greeting from the forest spirit. After all, the last time they saw her, she was raging over the death of her most precious and sacred stag. It took a moment, but Prince Fredrick finally replied, ‘Greetings Lady Forest Spirit, and it… it lights my being to see you here, too.’ 

Sebastian, however, said nothing.

The forest spirit laughed, ‘Now, now, there’s no need to be so frightened, I've already cursed dearest Sebastian here to be a skeleton, so I can’t do much worse. And please, call me Bellewood, as I am the Bellewood Forest.’

‘Of course, Lady Bellewood.’ Said both Prince Fredrick and Sebastian, bowing slightly.

‘Now, where are the items I requested?’ asked Bellewood.

‘Ri-right here my Lady,’ said Sebastian, who walked over to Bellewood to hand her the glimmering sack. Once Bellewood held the sack and started to go through the contents, Sebastian walked back to his prince and stood beside him, once again silent.

‘Oh wonderful, you’ve actually given me absolutely everything I asked for,’ said Bellewood after she finished going through the sack.

‘Well of course Lady Bellewood,’ said Prince Fredrick with furrowed eyebrows and a slight shake of his head, ‘it’s what you requested in return to help lift Sebastian’s curse, why wouldn't we have gotten everything for you?’

Bellewood laughed again, this time covering the area where her mouth would be with her hand. ‘Fair enough, fair enough little prince. I only mean to refer to your, let's say, disreputable reputation.’

‘My disreputable reputation? What disreputable reputation? And how on earth would you even know about it, Lady Bellewood, being the forest spirit you are?’ asked Prince Fredrick.

‘Now, now, little prince, do you really think in this world of ours, full of spirits, nymphs, and shapeshifters. That all those lovely young women and men you’ve met and bedded, especially in your birthday orgies, have all been human?’

The prince stood with his mouth open, blinking fast, trying to comprehend this new information. There may have been times, in the middle of the act, where he’d notice that a hand or eye would flash an odd unnatural colour. But he always attributed it as a trick of the light or the fever of the moment taking over his mind, making him see things that aren’t there. He’d never have thought that it was real, and he’d been with someone that wasn’t human.

‘Alright,’ Prince Fredrick began slowly, still trying to comprehend this, ‘but what does my private life have to do with your surprise?’

‘Well, it isn’t so much your notorious private life, little prince, that caused my surprise, but rather your other reputation,’ said Bellewood.

‘My other reputation?’

‘Yes, your disreputable reputation of being an absolute self-absorbed arse,’ said Bellewood, who seemed to be bouncing on the spot, making the items in the sack she was holding click together.

‘Self-absorbed arse?’ said Prince Fredrick quietly to himself, looking at nothing. Focusing back on Bellewood, he said ‘Excuse you Lady Bellewood, but I am in no way self-absorbed, or an arse. I am a prince, and princes are above such things.’

‘Oh, is that so little prince, then please tell me, what was your reason for helping your servant in this quest?’

‘Well to get rid of his curse of course,’ said Prince Fredrick, looking at Bellewood with wide eyes, ‘That’s the most important thing! No one should be forced to live such a life and don't forget that you were the one who cursed him.’

‘I haven’t forgotten, don’t you worry,’ said Bellewood, ‘and while I believe the last part of your sentence, I'm not really sure I believe the first. Tell me, first of all, who is at fault of dearest Sebastian’s curse?’

‘I, ah, well,’ said Prince Fredrick, looking back and forth between Bellewood and Sebastian, who was also looking at him with unsettling empty eye sockets, having trouble getting the words out. 

‘Yes, little princeling?’

‘It was Sebastian’s fault,’ Prince Fredrick finally spat out, looking at Bellewood after a minute of stumbling over his words, ‘it was all his fault, he's the one who knew about your stag and he’s the one who didn't try hard enough to get me to understand. So yes, it is all Sebastian’s fault for his curse.’

Prince Fredrick didn’t want to look at Sebastian after he spoke. He knew that if he did, he’d know for sure just how a skeleton looks when it’s been hurt, emotionally, from someone they’re truly loyal too. He also didn't want to look because the tight feeling he’s been getting in his chest came back, making it hard for him to breathe as well as the prickling feeling on his head. If he looked at Sebastian right now, he knew that feeling would get worse.

‘I see,’ said Bellewood, ‘so you cannot take fault for your own actions. Alright then, tell me, now, little princeling, the real reason for you being on this quest.’

‘Cannot take fault for my actions? Now just wait a minute,’ said Prince Fredrick, doing his best to ignore the burning stare he could feel coming from Sebastian.

‘Answer the question princeling, and know that as I am a spiritual creature, I can read your emotions as they’re connected to your spiritual self. So, don’t think of trying to lie to me further, I will be able to sense if you’re not being entirely truthful.’

‘I wanted the attention,’ said Prince Fredrick, quietly, looking to the side, away from both Sebastian and Bellewood.

‘Speak up little princeling, I'm not sure I heard you.’

Prince Fredrick looked back, right into the featureless face of Bellewood, ‘I said I wanted the attention.’

‘Now was that so hard little princeling?’ Bellewood then turned her head slightly to Sebastian’s direction, ‘I’m so sorry dearest Sebastian, I know I told you how to lift your curse, and I truly thought it would work, but apparently not.’ 

‘You knew?’ said Prince Fredrick, now looking at Sebastian, ‘You knew, and you didn’t tell me? Why? I am your prince, why didn’t you tell me?’

‘I didn’t tell you, sire,’ said Sebastian, in a soft, hollow voice, ‘I didn’t tell you because the Lady Bellewood asked me not too. She said you needed to work it out yourself.’

‘So, what’s to happen now?’ said Prince Fredrick, looking at Bellewood with a glare, ‘Are you going to leave Sebastian like this? In this state that is, apparently, my fault?’

‘Oh, no, no,’ said Bellewood, waving her hand seemingly to try and placate Prince Fredrick, ‘No, I’ll lift the curse and turn dearest Sebastian back.’

‘You will?’ asked both Prince Fredrick and Sebastian at the same time.

‘Yes,’ said Bellewood, ‘but, I shall place a different curse on you little princeling.’

‘Wait what?’ said Prince Fredrick, stepping back from Bellewood, with his hands raised in front of him, staring at her with wide eyes.

‘Yes, that’s exactly what I shall do,’ Bellewood then performed some complicated hand gestures and chanted a sentence in an odd unintelligible language, creating a bright flash of light, the same one that appeared when Sebastian was first cursed.

As soon as the light faded, Prince Fredrick took his hands away from his eyes and looked over at Sebastian to see him as a complete human again, looking just as he should and patting himself down. Prince Fredrick stared at Sebastian for a moment, looking at Sebastian’s wonderous expression, before turning back to Bellewood. ‘What do you me-,‘ Prince Fredrick started.

‘Now!’ Bellewood said, cutting into Prince Fredrick’s sentence, ‘Time for you, little princeling.’ And again, performed complicated gestures and spoke an unintelligible sentence, creating another bright flash. ‘There we go, that should do nicely.’

‘Lady Bellewood, what did you do?’ asked Prince Fredrick, who was patting himself down once the light faded, making sure he was all there.

‘Oh, you’ll figure it out, I'm sure,’ said Bellewood, ‘I shall give you a hint, however, for lifting this curse. Search further about that feeling you’ve been experiencing lately, little princeling, it’ll help you to understand it.’

‘Feeling?’ whispered Prince Fredrick to himself, his hands stilling on his legs.

‘I believe I've done all I can,’ said Bellewood, ‘it’s time for me to go and don’t worry about coming to me again for this curse, it'll lift by itself once you understand. So goodbye now.’

As soon as Bellewood said goodbye, another great gust of wind appeared in the clearing, just as suddenly as the first one. Bellewood’s leaf form flew apart, becoming individual leaves again and all were carried off into the forest. 

As the prince and his servant were picking themselves up, after the wind knocked them down this time, the prince paused in the motion of standing. He was feeling a whole tide of emotions, sadness and hurt being the strongest, though still felt relief and some happiness. That’s odd, thought the prince as he finally stood up, he had no reason to feel hurt or this small level of relief. The Prince turned to Sebastian to ask him for his pack, but as soon as he looked at Sebastian, the feelings seemed to intensify. Wait, thought the prince with his eyes and mouth wide open in surprise, these aren’t his feelings, these aren’t his feelings at all, they're Sebastian’s.

‘Sire? Are you alright? Do you know what she did to you?’ Sebastian asked, as he looked up after hearing his prince gasp and saw his surprised expression staring right at him.

‘N-no, it’s nothing to concern yourself with Sebastian, no need for you to worry.’ The Prince looked away from Sebastian, and instantly felt the foreign feelings reduce their intensity. Stretching out his arm and still looking away from his servant, asked for his pack. ‘It’s best we leave now to get back in good time.’ 

‘Yes of course sire’ said Sebastian and handed the prince his pack. Slight confusion was now added to the mix of foreign emotions Prince Fredrick was feeling and he cursed himself for being the cause of it. It’ll only be something else he’ll have to keep an eye on and try to reduce on the journey back. No one can know of his curse the prince decided, it is for his and the forest spirit’s knowledge only.


End file.
